‘Never been better’: Goorj’s verdict after 50 years in the game

Brian Goorjian isn’t surprised this Championship Series is heading to a fourth straight Game 5.

While he’s desperate for the Sydney Kings to get the job done, the veteran coach also knows just how special this battle with the Adelaide 36ers has been.

Chasing a seventh championship in what will be his 873rd game, Goorjian said it’s hard to remember a better Series, or a stronger moment for the NBL.

The numbers back it up. Across the first four games in Sydney and Adelaide, a combined 51,680 fans have packed the stands.

On the floor, the quality has matched the occasion.

Two all-time great guards in Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis have headlined the action, supported by former NBA talent including Torrey Craig, John Jenkins and Matthew Dellavedova, along with proven NBL winners like Xavier Cooks and DJ Vasiljevic.

But for Goorjian, it goes beyond just what’s happening on the court.

The standard of officiating, the support from fans and the energy around the league have all stood out.

"I think for everybody in the game of basketball and the NBL and the fight over the years for the game itself, the quality of this Series from all aspects (is an all-time high)," Goorjian said.

"I'm including the referees and I think it's been a high-level performance by the coaches, the players, the support in the communities and the passion behind the teams.

"From what I'm hearing, the viewing audience and everybody is engaged in this and it's exciting for basketball."

For Goorjian, the Series going the distance highlights one of the NBL’s biggest strengths, just how competitive the league is, with barely anything separating the top teams.

"I think the League has done a great job and if you look at some of the other sports, the competition is really close and injuries played a factor in the teams getting to where they are, but we've done a great job of having a great competition through the course of the year," Goorjian said.

"When you get to this and the top four, there's nothing between them so when you have two teams like this, and like Melbourne-Tasmania in the past or Wollongong (Illawarra)-Melbourne, the chances are it's going to go five.

"I keep saying it, it's an incredible league and these Finals series have been tremendous and I think this one might, and I know I'm involved in it, go to another level with everything going on around it.

"It's exciting for our League."

Despite the Game 4 loss in Adelaide, Goorjian has no doubt Sydney fans will stand firmly behind the Kings in Sunday’s decider.

With more than 18,000 expected in the building, he believes there’s every reason for the home crowd to feel proud of the team’s effort and confident they can finish the job.

"I think we've got the city behind us and I'm expecting a great crowd, and a great environment and I didn’t think we did anything tonight that anyone back home would be disappointed with," Goorjian said.

He also joked about the contrast between the two cities during the series.

"You even walk out on the town when you get to Adelaide for about five minutes and you think this might not be a good idea, and maybe I should hang in my apartment a little longer.

"But the whole community is engaged in both cities and I've been involved in Sydney twice, and they've never been engaged wherever I go like that are in this now."

Game 5 of the Championship Series tips off at 2:30pm AEDT on Sunday, live on ESPN and 10.